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This collection includes scrapbooks, photographs, and other ephemera related to Charles E. Inabinett's 15 year coaching career at Plymouth High School in Washington County, North Carolina.

Papers (1898-1903, 1953-1984, undated) including photographs, clippings, biographical sketch, and photocopy of pages from "A Documentary History of The Negro People in the United States" concerning Alex L. Manly (1866-1944), African-American newspaper editor of The Daily Record in Wilmington, North Carolina, during the Wilmington massacre of 1898. Additional materials include typed transcriptions of nine letters (November 19, 1953-November 9, 1955) written by Caroline "Carrie" Sadgwar Manly (widow of Alex L. Manly) to her sons Milo A. Manly and Lewin R. Manly. The transcriptions were done by Milo A. Manly (1903-1991) and given by him to the donor, Professor Charles Hardy III. Also included is a photocopy of the transcription of an interview done with Milo A. Manly by the donor on September 11, 1984. The original interview is held at Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History at the University of Kentucky.

Collection contains material related to the Smiley family history in North Carolina collected by Joan and Ralph Smiley, photocopies of material related to the life and death of country music musician Arthur Lee "Red" Smiley, Jr. of Asheville, NC, who had toured with Don Reno and the Tennessee Cut-Ups, and clippings from the Raleigh News and Observer related to Klan violence in Eastern NC in 1967. Other material related to Immanuel Baptist Church in Greenville, to Agnes Wadlington Barrett, and to the Putnam Family have been moved to other collections.

Private journals/ships' logs (October 1860 - July 1878) of Benjamin Thompson, master of the brigs Progressive Age and T. A. Darrell, and the ships Sportsman, and Harrisburg (v. 1, 1860-1865), commander of the ship Columbia (v. 2, 1865-1870), master of the ship Peruvian (v. 3, 1870-1872), and captain of the clipper ship Great Admiral (v. 4, 1874-1878), illustrating his career aboard sailing ships trading between England, the east and west coasts of America, Southeast Asia (Singapore, Manila, and Hong Kong), and Tokyo, Japan, including highly detailed and dramatic accounts of shipboard life and commercial operations.

Papers (1882-1954, undated [bulk 1882-1920]) of U. S. Navy surgeon, including correspondence, reports, and miscellany.

Collection (1736-1922) of Lenoir County (NC) land records, financial records, distillery records, etc.

This collection contains over 100 letters (1885, 1892-1897) written to Sallie Dromgoole Cotten (1876-1972), daughter of Sallie Swepson Southall Cotten and Robert Randolph Cotten, either while she was at home at Cottendale in Falkland, Pitt County, North Carolina, or at Notre Dame of Maryland Preparatory School and Collegiate Institute in Baltimore. The letters are written mainly by Sallie's female friends, but also some male friends in the 1890s (1892-1897) The correspondents are family, associates, and friends, especially schoolmates. Topics are mainly related to interests of college women and men. Also included are ephemera such as dance cards and dance invitations especially to "German" dances which were large popular events among wealthy white families in Eastern North Carolina tobacco towns in the 1890s.

Peart's Journal : Prepared from notes kept on a prisoner of War odyssey from Bilibid Prison, Manila, P.I., to Manchukuo, via the prison ship S.S. Oryoku Maru (undated)

This collection contains a memoir (ca. 1872) about life in New Bern, N.C., from 1822 to 1872. It includes biographical and informational data concerning politicians, lawyers and other important New Bern figures, as well as descriptions of life in New Bern and historical incidents of the period. An appendix contains transcripts of letters from prominent people.

Correspondence (1910-1911, 1913-1914) between Belva Agnes Ross and her parents William Henry Ross and Lida Baynor Little Ross and her brother Wilbur "Buddy" Ross while she is attending East Carolina Teachers Training School in Greenville, North Carolina. Wilbur Ross also started attending ECTTS with his sister in October 1910, but at some point he left to attend Guilford College. The Rosses were from Edward community about three miles east of Aurora in Beaufort County, North Carolina. Belva had to withdraw from school in January 1911 because she contracted the measles, but she returned to school at least by October 1913. Also included are abstracts of the correspondence created by Belva Ross's grandson Roy A. Archbell, Jr.

Papers (1895-1956) of the Tapp-Jenkins Tobacco Warehouse, consisting of correspondence, bills, receipts, tobacco invoices, tobacco shipping papers, tobacco warehouse records, ledgers, pamphlets, publications, newspaper articles, political files and miscellaneous.

On January 14, 2009, Dale Sauter (Grant Project Director) and Chris Oakley (Grant Historian) interviewed David J. Whichard II and Stuart Savage. Both Whichard and Savage have been at the Daily Reflector for most of their lives. Whichard's grandfather and his grandfather's brother founded the newspaper in the late 1800s. Savage retired in March 2009 with fifty years at the newspaper. They have both been involved in the newspaper in many capacities, including Whichard as one time publisher, and Savage as photographer. What makes this interview so special are the reflections of both Whichard and Savage about their experiences at the newspaper and in the Greenville area. Obviously, many changes have occurred since the start of the careers and the present day. These changes include both the physical processes, as well as the whole nature of the newspaper business. During this time there have also been dramatic and sweeping social transformations in Greenville that also mirror changes that occurred on a state and national level. In the interview, both Whichard and Savage reflect back on this interesting time in history. [Quote by Dr. Christopher A. Oakley.]

Material (1844-1891) including correspondence, account books, speeches, pamphlets, receipts, legal papers, and publications concerning William Robinson (an Irish immigrant) who was a newspaper publisher, town commissioner and mayor of Goldsboro, Wayne County, North Carolina, and his son Dr. Marius Emmet Robinson who practiced in Goldsboro, operated a drugstore with his brother, and was the first chief of staff of Goldsboro's first hospital.

A journal (1/19 – 6/29/1859) written by Augustus M. Handley, a young British Army officer in the 19th Regiment of Foot, of a voyage from Gravesend, England, to Calcutta, India, aboard the sailing ship H.M.S. Bucton Castle with Captain Moorsom commanding. The journal contains a detailed description of daily life aboard the Bucton Castle, including various personalities on board, daily activities, an explanation of the ship's time-keeping, a drawing of the ship with parts labeled, notes on the how-to of navigation, changing weather conditions, sea conditions, and meetings with the various ships along the way.

Papers (1927-1963) consisting of correspondence, reference of Chinese social practices and customs, diaries, letters of missionaries, Chinese Civil War.